FLYNN CENTER PRESENTS
PERCY JACKSON
& the Lightning Thief
We appreciate and value your feedback.
Click here to evaluate our study guides.
Click here for Teacher Feedback Forms for the performance.
Click here for Student Feedback Forms for the performance.
Click here for Parent Forms to help parents engage with their children around the show.
Welcome to the 2015-2016 Student Matinee Season!
Today’s scholars and researchers say creativity is the top skill our kids will need when they
enter the work force of the future, so we salute YOU for valuing the educational and
inspirational power of live performance. By using this study guide you are taking an even
greater step toward implementing the arts as a vital and inspiring educational tool.
We hope you find this guide useful. If you have any suggestions for content or format of
this guide, please contact [email protected].
Enjoy the show!
This guide was written & compiled by the Education Department at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts with inspiration from
the Theatreworks Study Guide.
Permission is granted for teachers, parents, and students who are coming to Flynn shows to copy & distribute this guide for
educational purposes only.
The Flynn Center recognizes that field trip resources for schools are extremely limited, thus matinee prices for
schools are significantly lower than prices for public performances. As a non-profit organization, the Flynn is
deeply grateful to the foundations, corporations, and individuals whose generous financial support keeps
matinees affordable for schools.
This performance is generously sponsored by the Tim and Lynn Vallee.
Thank you to the Flynn Matinee 2015-2016 underwriters: Andrea’s Legacy Fund, Champlain Investment
Partners, LLC, Bari and Peter Dreissigacker, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Forrest and Frances Lattner
Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Tracy and Richard Tarrant, TD Charitable Foundation, Vermont Concert Artists
Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Community Foundation, New England Foundation for
the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Flynn Jazz Endowment.
Additional support from the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation, Green Mountain Fund, Walter Cerf Community
Fund, the Vermont Arts Council, the Susan Quinn Memorial Fund, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The Production & the Story
The Production/The Story
Things to Think About Before/During/After you see the show
The Company: Theatreworks USA
Let’s Explore with Rick Riordan
About the Author
Inspiration for Percy Jackson
Get Creative! Invent Your Own Demigod
The Gods & Goddesses of Percy Jackson
List of Gods & Creatures
A Research Journey Activity
Embracing Differences
Rick Riordan on Dyslexia & ADHD
Dig Deep into Embracing Differences
Information of Dyslexia & ADHD
Bring the Art Form to Life
Art Form: Musical Theater
Words Come Alive Activities:
Moving Through Space& Movement Phrases
Your Visit
The Flynn Center
Etiquette for Live Performance
Why is Etiquette Important?
Resources: Print and Web
Common Core Standards
The Common Core broadens the definition of a “text,” viewing performance as a form of text, so your students are experiencing and interacting with a text when they attend a Flynn show.
Seeing live performance provides rich opportunities to write reflections, narratives, arguments, and more. By writing responses and/or using the Flynn Study Guides, all performances can be linked to Common Core:
CC ELA: W 1-10
You can use this performance and study guide to address the following Common Core Standards (additional standards listed by specific activities):
CC ELA: RL1-10, RF1-4, SL2, L3-4, RH1-10
The Production
Theatreworks presents a wild, fun, and bold musical
adaptation of THE LIGHTNING THIEF. The stage is set
with what appears to be items from a construction
site. The cast transforms these items, creating
monsters, water, and other essential story pieces
throughout the performance. The scaffolding on
stage provides a multifaceted set tool, allowing the
actors to climb, hide, hang prop pieces, and create
multiple environments with effective grace. The
music is fast-paced and rocking, and the performers
sing us into each new twist and turn of this epic
mythical journey. This is Percy Jackson amped up!
The Story
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding
school...again. And that’s the least of his troubles.
Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount
Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the
pages of Percy's textbook and into his life. And
worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus's master
lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is the prime
suspect. Now Percy has ten days to find and return
Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to the warring
Mount Olympus. But to succeed in his quest, Percy
must come to terms with the father who abandoned
him, solve the riddle of the Oracle, and unravel a
treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
Before you see the show:
Why do you think the Percy Jackson stories are so
popular? What about them makes young readers
so invested and connected to the stories and the
characters?
As you watch the show:
This is a musical version of Percy Jackson. Notice
the moments when Theatreworks chooses to
include songs. Why do you think they chose these
moments? How do the songs help move the
action forward? How do they affect the
storytelling? Do they add to your understanding
of and connection to the story?
After you see the show:
Think about the relationships in the story. What
relationships seemed authentic and lasting? Why
these as opposed to others? Ask students to
think about relationships in their own life. What
qualities, actions, and traits do they look for in a
good friend? Come together and list the traits
people have identified, and as a class create a
chart or graph to demonstrate which attributes
are most highly valued. Discuss why these might
be important characteristics in a friend.
After watching the show, ask students to compare
the musical to both the book series and the movie
version, if they’ve seen it. As a class, you could
watch the movie, noting the differences and
similarities. What elements were included in the
musical? What different techniques did they use
to tell the same story? How were Percy and other
characters portrayed in each version? Which
Percy did students relate to the most? If students
were going to create their own version of the
Lightning Thief, what format would they choose?
What would they include?
The Company
Theatreworks USA has a distinguished history of not only
providing young audiences with their first taste of the performing
arts, but also giving young actors, writers, directors and designers
an early opportunity to work in this field. Theatreworks USA is
America’s largest and most prolific not-for-profit theatre for
young and family audiences. Since 1961, Theatreworks USA has
enlightened and instructed over 90 million people in 49 states
and Canada, performing for about three million people annually.
Click here to learn more about TheatreworksUSA.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan gets his audience, he understands them, and therefore,
writes books that compel their imaginations, curiosity, and keep
them clamoring for more!
Some facts about the author:
He is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
While best known for his books for young readers, her is the
author of an award-winning mystery series for adults.
Rick was a middle school English and history teacher for 15
years.
Rick started writing when he was in middle school.
Rick lives in Boston with his wife, his two sons, his dog, and 3
cats.
Find more at Rick’s website.
As a class, brainstorm all the possible ways to pronounce “Riordan.”
Write these on the board and vote for which pronunciation is cor-
rect. Once all the votes have been tallied, visit this link to hear Rick
pronounce his own name. Were you accurate with your voting?
THE INSPIRATION FOR PERCY, ACCORING TO THE AUTHOR
“My son Haley asked me to tell him some bedtime stories about the Greek gods and heroes. I had taught
Greek myths for many years at the middle school level, so I was glad to comply. When I ran out of myths, he
was disappointed and asked me if I could make up something new with the same characters.
I thought about it for a few minutes. Then I remembered a creative writing project I used to do with my sixth
graders—I would let them create their own demigod hero, the son or daughter of any god they wanted, and
have them describe a Greek-style quest for that hero. Off the top of my head, I made up Percy Jackson and
told Haley all about his quest to recover Zeus’ lightning bolt in modern day America. It took about three
nights to tell the whole story, and when I was done, Haley told me I should write it out as a book.
I had a lot to do already, but I somehow found time to write the first Percy Jackson book over the next year.
I just really enjoyed writing it. The story was such fun, and so different from my adult fiction, that I found
myself spending a lot of time on it. Now, I’m sure glad I did!” (http://clubs-kids.scholastic.co.uk/
clubs_content/10603)
Get Creative! Invent your own Demigod
If it’s good enough for Rick, let’s try it! Create your own demigod,
and describe them in rich detail. Which God or Goddess are they
connected to? What attributes do they share? How are they
different? Just like Rick asked his students, imagine a quest/
journey/adventure for your hero. This activity could be extended
by having students draw or artistically represent their created
character. Share in small groups or as a class.
The list below contains the Greek God/Mythical
Creature names mentioned in this version of
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Beside
each name is what the person or creature
represents, or important information about who
they are.
APOLLO The youthful god of the sun and music
ARES The fierce god of war
ATHENA The goddess of wisdom and the arts
CENTAUR Mythical creature with the head and
torso of a man and body of a horse
CHIRON Eldest and wisest of the centaurs
CYCLOPS One-eyed giant
FURIES Avenging spirits controlled by Hades
HADES God of the underworld and brother to
Poseidon and Zeus
HARPIES Female monsters in the form of birds
with human faces
HERCULES Son of Zeus, mortal hero
HERMES God of the trade
KRONOS Titan god of time and the ages, sired the
gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus
MEDUSA Gorgon sister who bragged about her
beauty and was turned into a monster by Athena
MINOTAUR Monster with the body of a man and
the head and tail of a bull
ODYSSEUS Leader in the Trojan War
PAN God of the wild, shepherds and flocks
POSEIDON God of the sea, brother of Zeus and
Hades and father of Percy Jackson
PROMETHEUS Titan god of forethought, entrusted with the
task of molding mankind out of clay
SATYRS Poets and companions to Pan
TITANS The elder
gods who ruled
the earth before
the Olympians
overthrew them
ZEUS King of the
gods, ruler of
mankind
Send Students on a Research
Journey!
Divide students into small groups and have
each group choose a god or creature from
the list to the left. Tell them they are
biographers, exploring and researching
these beings. Have them look into defining
characteristics, relationships, events, and
stories from their being’s life. They are
discovering what makes this being unique.
What are the essential elements of their
existence? As a group, have students come
to a consensus on how to creatively present
their being to the class. They could create
something visual, with images that
represent key moments or traits. They could
write a perform a short skit based on pieces
of the being’s history. They could create a
political campaign for their being to
overthrow Zeus as king, highlighting why
their being is more qualified. Have them get
creative and inspired!
RICK RIORDAN ON INCLUDING
DYSLEXIA AND ADHD
“When I was writing Percy Jackson, my own son was in
the process of being tested for learning differences.
He was having trouble reading, and some trouble
focusing in the classroom. The teachers were
wondering about ADHD and dyslexia. He was
frustrated about learning to read, and we had to
explain to him that the testing was designed to help
the teachers help him, not make him feel bad.
As a teacher, I’ve worked with lots of kids who have
learning differences. I’ve participated in testing
evaluations and made modifications in my classroom.
But somehow, it’s different when your child is going
through the process. Eventually, my son was enrolled
in the Scottish Rite program, which caters to children
with reading difficulties like dyslexia. He’s doing much
better now, but it wasn’t an easy process.
While this was happening, I did a lot of reading about
dyslexia and ADHD. I especially liked the books Keeping
a Head in School and Driven to Distraction. I was
surprised to learn that ADHD and dyslexia frequently
go together. The books also confirmed something I
already knew: that dyslexic/ADHD kids are creative,
‘outside-the-box’ thinkers. They have to be, because
they don’t see or solve problems the same way other
kids do. In school, unfortunately, they are sometimes
written off as lazy, unmotivated, rude, or even stupid.
They aren’t. If they can get through their rough school
years, they often go on to become very successful
adults. Employers love them because they come up
with original, fresh ideas. Making Percy ADHD/dyslexic
was my way of honoring the potential of all the kids
I’ve known who have those conditions. It’s not a bad
thing to be different. Sometimes, it’s the mark of being
very, very talented. That’s what Percy discovers about
himself in The Lightning Thief.”
Taken from an interview with Rick Riordan, full
interview here.
Information about Dyslexia
“As with other learning disabilities, dyslexia is a lifelong
challenge that people are born with. This language
processing disorder can hinder reading, writing, spelling,
and sometimes even speaking. Dyslexia is not a sign of poor
intelligence or laziness. It is also not the result of impaired
vision. Children and adults with dyslexia simply have a
neurological disorder that causes their brains to process and
interpret information differently.
Dyslexia can also make it difficult for people to express
themselves clearly. It can be hard for them to use
vocabulary and to structure their thoughts during
conversation. Others struggle to understand when people
speak to them. This isn’t due to hearing problems. Instead,
it’s from trouble processing verbal information. It becomes
even harder with abstract thoughts and non-literal
language, such as jokes and proverbs.
All of these effects can have a big impact on a person’s self-
image. Without help, children often get frustrated with
learning. The stress of dealing with schoolwork often makes
children with dyslexia lose the motivation to continue and
overcome the hurdles they face.”
Taken from: http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/
what-is-dyslexia
Information about ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the
most common childhood disorders and can continue
through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include
difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty
controlling behavior, and hyperactivity.
Dig Deep into Embracing Differences
Divide the class into three groups, and give each group one of the following words:
respect, acceptance, tolerance. Tell groups not to share their word with other groups.
Give them 10 minutes to talk about what their word means and to discuss situations
that demonstrate the word in practice. After ten minutes, ask groups to create a
tableaux, or frozen image, of a scene that depicts their word in practice. Each group
will then present their image to the rest of the class, who will guess what their word
was. After each group presents, come together and reflect on the experience. How is
each word different? Would they like to be respected, accepted, or tolerated? Discuss
how tolerance is sometimes considered ideal, but maybe is, instead, a starting place
for embracing difference. As a group, connect to real world events.
The Art Form: Musical Theater
What is theater? Webster’s dictionary says, “a dramatic
performance.” But what is dramatic? What is drama? Drama is
any kind of performance that tells a story through character,
action, and dialogue (talking). Some say that theatre portrays
life—either as it is or as it might be. But one of the things that
makes theatre different from real life is that things can happen
in theatre that cannot happen in real life—in other words,
things that appear to be magical.
It is believed that people have been acting out stories forever.
But what about musical theater? Although it is likely that
people have been singing and dancing and making music to
accompany their stories for as long as they’ve been acting
them out—all over the world—American musical theater, like theater itself, has more recent roots. The
defining characteristic of musical theater may be that the music—and often dance—and the drama are
inextricably linked. The story depends upon the songs as much as the songs depend on the story; without
either one, the drama as a whole—the musical theater—would not exist.
READ & EXPLORE: Click here for a more in-depth description of musical theater and more theater
phrases and terminology.
WORDS COME ALIVE: Arts Integration Activities Providing the opportunity to actively explore the world of the show helps students become more engaged and
connected audience members, thinking about artists’ choices and approaching the performance with enhanced
curiosity. For more information about our arts integration activities, click here, email
[email protected] or call 652-4548.
Moving Through Space
Learning Goals: deepen understanding of character
Performing Goals: move safely in space; explore
locomotor movements
Ask students to walk or move freely around the room,
aiming for open spaces and being careful not to bump
into others. To help keep attention high, instruct them to
“freeze” occasionally and also to vary their speeds or
qualities. Examples: Move faster, move faster still. Travel
backwards. Tiptoe. Move low to the ground. Move as
close as you can to others without touching.
Expand this activity to explore the concept of “demigod,”
or a “half-blood.” Ask students to begin moving through
the space as themselves. Then, ask them to transition to
moving through space like a gorilla. Ask them to move
through space with one half of their body as themselves
and one half as a gorilla. Encourage them to come into
this movements slowly, really finding the balance
between both personas. Repeat with various
combinations (cat/dog, man/goat, soldier/ballerina,
Zeus/Aphrodite, etc.).
To conclude, reflect on how it felt to be split in two with
their movement. What kind of physical changes were
evocative of different personas? How challenging was it
to move in two completely separate ways? You could
repeat this exercise asking them to blend the traits into
one new movement, instead of keeping them distinct,
and then reflecting on whether this felt more natural.
Movement Phrases
Learning goals: Determine importance; synthesize; think
abstractly.
Performing goals: Combine locomotor and non-
locomotor movements with structural form.
Ask students to identify beginning, middle, and ending
moments in Percy Jackson, and then to create a
movement to express each part. Select a movement
expressing the beginning from one of the students and
lead the whole group to repeat it. Repeat the process for
the middle and end, connecting the three sections so
they flow from one to another. Since the story is
complex, you can extend this by finding moments and
create images that fill in the gaps between beginning,
middle and end points.
The Flynn Center
The Flynn has been at the center of Vermont's cultural landscape for over
80 years—from its earliest days as a vaudeville house through five
decades as a movie theater to its present life as the region's leading
performance center and arts education organization. Today, the Flynn
Center for the Performing Arts is recognized internationally for its
significant artistic, educational, and community outreach activities;
superb technical capacity; beautiful historic setting; and world-class
presentations. At the Flynn, we celebrate a rich legacy of connecting our
community with the arts. The Flynn is recognized for its stellar artistic
programming in theater, dance, and music; and for educational programs
that reach far into the community to advance teaching and learning. For
more about the Flynn, click here.
Print Resources
D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire and
Edgar Parin d”Aulaire, Doubleday Books, 1962
Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick
Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series edited
by Rick Riordan, BenBella Books, 2013
Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan and John
Rocco, Disney-Hyperion, 2014
Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods,
Goddesses, Heroes & Monsters by Donna Napoli, National
Geographic Children’s Books, 2011
Web Resources
A virtual tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including
the Ancient Greece Exhibit: www.metmuseum.org
Information on Greek mythology:
www.greekmythology.com
An article on raising awareness and acceptance for those
students with dyslexia: www.theguardian.com/
education/2013/oct/15/dyslexia-awareness-teaching-
resources
Etiquette for Live Performances
The Essentials
Listen, experience, imagine, discover, learn!
Give your energy and attention to the performers.
At the end of the show, clap for the performers’ time and energy.
Eating, drinking, and chewing gum are not okay.
Talk only before and after the performance.
Turn off wireless devices. No photos, videos, texting, or listening to music.
Why is Etiquette Important?
A good live performance is a powerful communication
between audience and performer. The more the
audience gives to the performer, the more the
performer can give back to the audience. The performer
hears the audience laughing, senses its sympathy, and
delights in the enthusiasm of its applause.
Furthermore, each audience member affects those
sitting near him or her, in addition to the performers
onstage. Technological devices (cameras, phones, etc.)
have become so prevalent in our daily lives, but using
these devices is distracting to the performers onstage
and other audience members trying to watch the show.
Even the light from checking the time, or the buzz of a
phone on vibrate can pull the people around you out of
the experience. Cell phone frequencies can even
interfere with the microphones in the production, and
taking photos can be unsafe for performers.
Additionally, an artist has the right to decide what
photos and videos go out into the world. Phones keep
you from being present and fully engaged with the
show. Thank you for turning devices completely off!
We can’t wait to see you at the theater!
Teachers, a few reminders:
Fill out the Seating and Travel Survey, so we can best accommodate your group’s needs in regards to dismissal,
bussing, students with different needs, etc.
Share your experience with us! Use the feedback links, or share your students’ artwork, writing,
responses. We love to hear how experiences at the Flynn impact our audiences.
Explore other student matinees at the Flynn this season. We’ve still got seats in some shows and we’d love to
help you or other teachers at your school enliven learning with an engaging arts experience!
We have some new initiatives to deepen student connection and experience!
Pre or Post-Show Video Chats: Help students build enthusiasm or process their
experience with a free, 5-10 minute video chat before or after the show! We
can set up Skype/Facetime/Google Hangouts with your class to answer
questions about the content, art form, and experience. Contact Kat,
[email protected] to set up your chat!
Autism and Sensory-Friendly Accommodations: The Flynn Center has been
working diligently to break down barriers for audience members with
disabilities, with a particular focus on those with sensory-sensitivities. Social
stories, break spaces, sensory friendly materials, and more are available for all
student matinees. Feel free to let us know ahead of time if any of these would
be useful, or ask an usher at the show!
Make your field trip the
most meaningful learning
experience it can be with a
preparatory Companion
Workshop in your
classroom!
An engaging Flynn Teaching Artist can
come to your school to deepen
students’ understanding of both
content and form with an interactive
workshop, enriching kids’ matinee
experiences. Funding support is often
available. To learn more, check out
this link. To book a workshop, click
here. Questions? Contact Sasha:
(802)652-4508
Hello from
the Flynn!
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